Corn-silker



(No Model.) l 4sneets-sen 1. 'S.,D. WARFIELD.

GORN SILKER. l Y y Patented July 14, 1885'.

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CORN SILKEB..

No. 322,220. Patented July 14, 1885.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets--Sh'et 3.- S. D. WARFIELD.

CORN SILKER. I

No. 322,220. Patented July 14, 1885.

- VIE v5 Pham-lithography. washington. D. C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 s. D. WAR'PIELD.

CORN' SILKER.

No. 322,220. 2 Patented July 14, 1885.

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V UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

SOLOMON DAVIEs WAREIELD, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

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SPECIFICATION forming part o'f Letters Patent No. 322,220, dated July14, 1885. I Application filed March 28, 1885. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON DAvIEs WAR- EIELD, of the city of Baltimoreand State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements inCorn-Silkers, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class ofcorn-silkers in which the silk is removed from the cut corn.

In the drawings, forming a part hereof, Figures I and II are exteriorviews of t-he machine as seen from different sides. Fig. III is aplan ofthe machine with some. minor parts thereof removed. Fig. IV is avertical section taken on the dotted line x x, Fig. III. Figs. V andVIare details of the machine.

A is a frame supported by legs A. y

B is an inclined endless conveyer belt or apron, carried by rollers B.These rollers have gudgeons c, adapted to turn freely in boxes a in theframe A.

Gis a second endless belt or apron, carrying silking-iingers b, andarranged so asto bring the fingers on its under side nearly in contactwith the upper side of the conveyer-belt B, as shown particularly inFig. IV. The belt C is also mounted on rollers, which are denoted by C',and have gudgeons b', adapted to rest in bearing-boxes c in the frame A.

The beltsB and C are driven as follows, the direction of their movementbeing indicated by arrows in Fig. IV: A main driving-shaft, c',supported by hangers D, is providedwith a driving-pulley, D. Ou thisshaft c is a sprocket-wheel, d, connected by a chain-belt, d', to asecond sprocket-wheel, E, on the gudgeon a of the upper and drivingroller, B', of the endless conveyer-belt B.

E is a smaller sprocket-wheel on the same gudgeon a, and connected by achain-belt to a larger sprocket-wheel, F, on the gudgeon b of the upperand driving roller, C, ofthe endless belt C. On the gudgeon b is alsoastill larger sprocket-wheel, F', united through the medium of achain-belt to a smaller one, e, on the brush-shaft e', which is suitablysupported on the frame A. This shaft is provided with a rotary brush, F,preferably of the spiral kind, and set substantially the same as thatshown and described in Letters Patent No. 309,999, granted to me on the30th day of December, 1884, for a eorn-silker.

G is a hopper supported between the two g, on the shaft g', adapted tovibrate in a sleeve, i

h, projecting from the frame A. The vibratory motion of the shaft g' iseffected by means of an arm, G, fastened thereto, which is connected bythe rod h to a crank, Gf', at the end of the fan-shaft H, hereinafteralluded to.

By referring to Fig. V it will be seen that the distributing-rods f havepins z', which-rest in slots t" in the rocker g. The Yfull and dotteddelineations of 'the rocker and certain'of its attachments indicate theextremes of their movement.

By simply employing pins to connect the rods f with the rocker gr thesaid rods, with their distributing-bars, may be easily removed forcleaning or other purposes and replaced while the machine is inoperation; and to admit of this removal the hopper G has slots j, v

will be described, and their uses set out in the description of theoperation of the machine v which follows: Supposing the machine to be inoperation, corn, as out from the cob,y is poured in the hopper G. By theaction of the distributing-bars the corn, in falling to theconveyor-belt B, is evenly spread over its surface and to anniformdepth. `The distributing-bars also serve to separate from the corn anypieces of cob that may be contained therein. The corn is carried by theconveyerbelt B toward a second hopper, I, hereinafter described, andagainst the silking-ingers b, which are moving in an opposite directionand at a less speed. The object in moving the finger-belt at a lessspeed than the conveyer-belt is to avoid the danger of the fingerscarrying the corn from the machine. Vhen the corn to be silked containsthe scrapings of the cob, such scrapings are not evenly mixed with thegrain, and if the corn is packed in this condition one can Will containmore of these scrapings than another. This difficultyv is entirelyobviatcd by forcing the corn on the conveyerbelt against the fingers,Which serve to break the lumps of scrapings and distribute the particlesthereof evenly among the grain. While the ngers are breaking the lumpsof scrapings and mixing the same with the grain, they are also removingthe silk from the mass, and the silk is carried by the fingers to thebrush F, which in its revolution in a contrary direction to the movingfingers cleans them and throws the silk to the silk-box I', supported onthe frame A. Ahood, J, (shown in full lines in Fig. IV and in dottedones in Figs. I and IL) prevents the scattering of the silk and guidesit to the silk-box I. The second hopper, before alluded to anddesignated by I, is supported by springs J', bolted to the frame A, andis vibrated laterally of the machine through the medium of a bell-crank,7c, pivoted at Z, and a rod, Z', attached to the crank G on thefan-shaft H. The hopperI consists of a box, open at the side next to themachine. (See Fig. IV.) This bok contains a crosspiece, m, from whichproject bars m', as shown in Figs. III and IV, and is placedsufficiently close to the conveyer-belt to remove corn therefrom, butnot to scrape the belt. The conveyer-belt, to which considerable chaffand short silk adhere, is finally cleaned by means of a Wiper, a,attached to the frame A. This wiper is preferably made of strips ofrubber or other flexible material fastened to a bar, n, and isadjustable with reference to the belt, as shown particularly in Figs. IVand VI. A pan, K, hinged to the frame A at 0, serves to catch the matterwiped from the conveyerbelt.

L is a fan of any approved construction, the rotary Wings of which aresecured to the fanshaft H, before alluded to. The dischargenozzle o ofthe fan is toward the open side of the hopper I, and the air forcedtherefrom passes through the corn shaken through the bars m and removesfrom the grain chaff and short pieces of silk contained therein. Therapid shaking of the bars m' lightens up the mass of corn as it fallsthrough the hopper and facilitates the passage of the air through thegrain. The bars m also serve to catch any pieces of the cob that mayhave passed through the first hopper. The fan-shaft H is driven from themain driving-shaft c through the medium of the gear-Wheels L and IVI, asshown in Fig. I. The silked corn falls from the hopper I to any suitablereceptacle placed underneath thereof. Side boards,N,screwed to the innerfaces of the frame A, prevent lateral dispersion of the grain from theconveyer-belt. The

side boards are grooved to receive the edges of the belt. (See Fig. VI.)An adjustable binding-roller, O, (see Figs. I, II, and IV,) is used totake up the slack in the conveyerbelt.

The principal object in having the silkingvfingers on a moving belt isto admit of the said fingers being easily cleaned, but as other meansfor cleaning the lingers could be employed the fingers could be fixed orstationary without departing from the spirit of the inventiomwhich aimsto remove the silk from a body of corn by conveying the same against andthrough a system of silking-fingers.

I do not nrestrict myself' to the use of the various devices shown fordriving the belts and for effecting the vibratory movement of theseveral parts of the machine, as it is evident that other contrivancescould bc employed to produce the same effect.

I claim as my inventionl. In a corn-silking machine, an endless movingbelt for conveying corn and rollers for supporting said belt, combinedwith a series of silking-fingers situated over the said belt, throughwhich the corn is forced, substantially as specified.

2. In a corn-silking machine, an endless moving belt for conveyingcornand rollers for supporting the said belt, combined With a series ofsilking-fingers situated over the said belt, and a hopper containingdistributing devices, substantially as specified.

3. In a corn-silking machine, an endless moving belt for conveying cornand rollers for supporting the said belt, combined with a series ofsilking-fingers situated over the said belt, and a fan arranged to forceair through the corn, substantially as specified.

4. In a corn-silking machine, an endless moving belt to convey corn androllers for supporting the said belt, combined With au endless movingbelt on rollers carrying silking-fingers situated over theconveyor-belt, substantially as specified.

5. In a corn-silking machine, an endless moving belt to convey corn androllers to support the said belt, combined with an endless moving belton rollers carrying silkingfingers situated over the conveyer-belt, andmeans to move the fingers in a direction opposite to that of theconveyer-belt, substantially as specified.

6. In a corn-silking machine, an endless moving belt for conveying cornand rollers to support the said belt, combined with silking-fingerssituated over the said conveyerbelt, a perforate shaking hopper locatedat the discharge end of the conveyer-belt, and a fan adapted to forceair through the said perforate hopper, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

7. In a corn-silking machine, an endless moving belt for conveying cornand rollers to support the said belt, combined With an endless movingbelt with silking-fingers, a perforate shaking-hopper located at the disICG IIO

charge end of the said conveyer-belt, and a fan adapted to force airthrough the said` shakinghopper, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

8. In a corn-silking machine, an endless moving belt to convey corn androllers to support the said belt, combined with a Wiper in contact Withthe said belt, a tray to receive the material Wiped from the said belt,and `a series of silking-iingers arranged over the said conveyer-belt,substantially as specified.

9. In a corn-silking machine, a hoppei1 to receive corn, combined Withdistributing-bars arranged one above another, and means to reciprocatethe said bars in opposite directions, substantially as specified.

10.' In a corn-silking machine, a hopper to receive corn, combined withremovable distributing-bars arranged one above another, and means toreciprocate the said bars in opposite directions, substantially asspecified.

1l. In a corn-silking machine, an endless moving belt to convey corn androllers to support the said belt, combined with an endless moving beltcarrying silkingiingers, Vand a shaking perforate hopper situate at thedischarge end of the said conveyer-belt, substantially as specified. i y12. In a eorn-silking machine, an endless moving belt for conveying cornand rollers to support the said belt, combined with an end! less movingbelt carrying silking-ingers, and a fan to force air through the cornfalling from ghe said conveyer-belt, substantially as speci- 13. In acorn-silking machine, an endless moving belt to convey corn andsilking-ngers situated over the said belt, combined With a shakingperforate hopper situated at the discharge end of the said beltandadapted tov re,-` ceive corn falling therefrom, substantially asspecified. l

SOLOMON DAVIES AZVARFIELD. Witnesses:

CHAs. W. ARNOLD, DANL. Fisnnn.

